The Kenney Government will do whatever it can to block Ottawa’s plan to implement stricter firearms regulations that include buying back AR-15 military-style rifles and similar weapons that were banned two years ago, Justice Minister Tyler Shandro sternly vowed yesterday.
The government is willing to go all the way to stop the “gun grab,” a tired-looking, tieless and rather scruffy Mr. Shandro yesterday told a news conference, which has been recorded and posted to the Internet for the edification of all.
This includes, wait for it, going to court – presumably to try to prove that the federal government doesn’t have jurisdiction in federal jurisdiction. (Yeah, that’s what I meant. Read it again if it’s not clear.)
But “all options are on the table”!
“Alberta has been told that the federal government will use the RCMP to confiscate firearms – as they did during the 2013 floods – when the RCMP seized over 600 firearms during the notorious High River gun grab,” said Mr. Shandro’s canned quote in the government’s press release. “Actions taken today will seek to prevent history from repeating itself. Further options are being explored and all options are on the table.”
Like what? Separation? Nuclear weapons?
“The planned confiscations represent a failed approach to reducing violence in Canadian society and are unwarranted and unacceptable infringements on the property rights and personal freedoms of Albertans,” piped up Teri Bryant, Alberta’s “chief firearms officer,” during the newser.
She was hired to a new position in August 2021 by the Kenney Government, apparently to obstruct the enforcement of federal firearms laws.
In addition to accusing the Trudeau Government of planning to “confiscate” already-illegal weapons for which it’s willing to pay up to $6,209 ($1,337 for an AR-15), Mr. Shandro’s and Ms. Bryant’s publicity minions have also sent sent an angry, tendentiously worded letter to other provincial governments, asking them to join The Resistance, and letters to federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and RCMP K Division Commanding Officer Curtis Zablocki blustering about the program.
In his letters, Mr. Shandro repeated the claim popular with the “law abiding firearms community” (Ms. Bryant’s phrase) that assault-style weapons were banned “simply because the ‘style’ of the firearm was deemed to be aesthetically displeasing” – never mind the undeniable fact that such appearance is intended to be marketed to immature gun enthusiasts seeking to enhance their fragile machismo.
So Mr. Shandro is clearly trying to pick a fight with the feds to score a point with one of the dark corners of the UCP base just as Premier Jason Kenney attempts to rebrand himself as an elder statesman and dignified advocate of civility.
Just why they’re trying to do this right now when the Kenney Government is only going to be around for another nine or 10 days, or possibly a couple of weeks at most, is unclear and probably not worth speculating about.
Mr. Shandro has demonstrated talent for picking fights – with doctors, neighbours whose social media posts he didn’t like, and lately legal aid lawyers. Indeed, that seems to be what Mr. Kenney chose him to do when he made him health minister in April 2019.
But despite the ridiculous claims and inflammatory language in yesterday’s press release, this performative effort is highly unlikely to get a rise out of Ottawa.
I mean, c’mon! There are experienced politicians on the Liberal side in Ottawa. Why would they even bother responding to a pipsqueak like Mr. Shandro when there’s a good chance in another couple of weeks he’ll be relegated to the backbenches?
Indeed, give it a few more months and, if he seeks re-election, the voters of Calgary-Acadia may well bluntly suggest he return to his own practice of law – assuming the Law Society of Alberta lets him after considering whether he broke their Code of Conduct while serving Mr. Kenney’s government.
Mr. Shandro’s disciplinary hearing is scheduled to take place Oct. 17-19.
In other words, the reaction in Ottawa, and in provincial capitals other than Regina as well, is likely to be summarized as follows: Pffffffft!
Well, give Mr. Shandro credit for one thing – at least he’s threatening to challenge a law he disagrees with in the courts.
That may not be very likely to succeed, but at least it doesn’t show utter contempt for the rule of law like the candidate most likely to be sworn in as unelected premier of Alberta when Mr. Kenney leaves the building on Oct. 6 or soon thereafter.
In that picture Teri Bryant looks like angry Popeye.
Hi David
Here is hoping you pull your head out of the sand long enough to understand that your personal posting is no way based on fact.
1) you start by talking about the AR-15. firstly it is a design platform designed for hunting then modified for military use.
2) Name one time a legally owned AR-15 was used in a Canadian murder, you can’t cause it has never happened.
3) Show me a case of an illegal AR-15 being used in a shooting in Canada. Bet you cannot do that either as it has simply never happened.
4) Show me the make up of what are called legal gun crimes in Canada that are now showing that is less than 10%. The Government wants to spend 2 – 5 Billion confiscating guns which may be statistically 10% of the problem while putting 386 million towards the 90% problem of smuggled guns nobody can have.
5) Legal gun owners obey the law but you think an OIC is the way to do it? No person, including the RCMP Commander of Alberta wants to put brave officers lives at risk. So……why don’t you, and anyone that supports you, start going to ranches, telling them you are taking their guns and see how it works out.
Nobody wants to stop gun crime more than the people that legally own them but yours was poorly thought out and endangers people.
David, if you believe so strongly in this, be the first one to go to an Indigenous reservation and try to take their guns. Read what the true Canadian laws are first.
https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=Chief+Fire+Arms+Officier+Alberta+videos&type=E211CA876G0#action=view&id=110&vid=0efec84a0184369c03a9b405c23d084f
So much for civility! If Kenney really wanted to conduct a government with civility, he probably never should have made Shandro a minister along with several others. Shandro was one of Kenney’s worst pitbulls, seemingly picking fights with almost everyone. Well at least he is consistent to the end.
I suppose Shandro has something to prove if he wants to keep his job under new management, that may be even angrier and unhinged than the previous administration. So again he is in total attack mode, it seems to come easily for him.
However, I am not sure gun rights are really the hill the quasi separatist wing of the UCP wants to die on. Shandro is a fighter, but he can’t ever be accused of choosing his causes or battles well.
Maybe Shando’s latest bluster is a last minute attempt to try sabotage the potential winner of the UCP leadership. It may not be a strategy he would be clever enough to come up with on his own, but might be the sort of thing devised by someone who pontificates about civility, while doing everything he can to undermine it.
It’s no secret that these phony conservatives want to bring the stupid American Republican Brand of politics to Canada. Praising criminal truck drivers, and ignoring the gun violence in the U.S and don’t care that we have seen a massive increase in gun violence in Canada already linked to the stupid legalization of Marijuana. They don’t care whose been killed or what it will do to our children’s future. Now Albertans are going to face a $3.5 billion lawsuit thanks to these fools by destroying Lougheed’s coal protection on our mountains. Apparently they didn’t think Albertans were smart enough to notice. Yet we still have stupid Albertans, mostly seniors, trying to make up idiotic comments to defend them.
Alan K. Spiller: That’s exactly what they are doing. These foolish people want to support politicians, like Danielle Smith, who would privatize anything she can, like her hero, Ralph Klein, was trying to do. They would turn us into an American state. Where’s the sense in that?
Can you please elaborate on how gun violence is linked to the legalization of marijuana?
That one caused me to do a double take as well.
Maybe the Republicans imported divisive politics from the Liberal Party of Canada (ex. Keith Davey’s “Screw the West, we’ll take the rest”. The Liberals are masters of spitting venom while smiling and blaming the target for being divisive. Poilievre, like Harper, dares to spit it back.
The gun control legislation and possibility of RCMP seizure is outrageous, but I agree outside Provincial jurisdiction. I highly doubt the RCMP will actually do anything.
The Feds seem to have more interest in promoting anything gun as a wedge issue rather than actually addressing gun violence, such as re-instating Harper era mandatory minimums, increasing other penalties, setting up a dedicated task force similar to the American ATF and even co-operating more with the ATF. Most gun crime in Canada is committed using already illegal guns smuggled in from the US (https://www.npr.org/2022/07/09/1108967278/canada-gun-control-us-guns-trafficking). That is indisputable fact. The Liberals need to keep the gun issue alive to drive fundraising and drive the wedge. They also seem reluctant to tackle the smuggling problem, perhaps because many guns are smuggled through cross-border indigenous lands by Quebec based organized crime (https://nationalpost.com/health/contraband-capital-the-akwesasne-mohawk-reserve-is-a-smuggling-conduit-police-say)
I guess this makes a good reminder for the ‘thin blue linebackers’ of the world that if people ever vote to make a gun illegal, those cops you love so much are the exact people who will be tasked with seizing your newly-illegal supply of firearms.
I share your skepticism that they will do their jobs though. The convoy criminals showed the whole world loud and clear that Canadian cops only enforce laws if the criminal is not a white Conservative.
Neil & Doug: The thing I don’t get about the United Church is that it’s a union of Methodists (who believe strongly in free will) and Presbyterians (who strongly don’t believe in free will) and a few Congregationalists (who believed whatever they believed). To me, the free will/predestination thing is a much harder bridge to cross than merely wondering whether the Pope, say, enjoys any divine authority. So how they can call it a United Church beats the hell outta me, if you’ll pardon the expression. My suspicion is that they just made a pact never to talk about it. DJC
OK, DJC, now you have me stumped. What does the theological history of the United Church have to do with the price of tea in China, or the topic under discussion here? What am I missing?
Jerry: It struck me as funny, since we were talking about things that call themselves united, but aren’t really. It’s my blog, so I can write goofy comment responses if I feel like it. DJC
I wonder what role the NRA has in all this. Here’s an article in which they bend the truth and quote Jason Kenney’s successor at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation as well as the Fraser Institute. The jargon is the same as the UCP’s.
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20220328/trudeaus-gun-control-a-brief-respite-for-law-abiding-canadians
Of course Kenney’s Klan can’t resist wasting more of Albertans’ money on frivolous and futile lawsuits on the way out the door. It’s what they do: hands in our pockets.
On July 28 cbc.ca reported that forfeiting a Swiss Arms SG 550 Assault Rifle could net the owner $6,209. What can law abiding gun owners expect from this high end weapon? Military-today.com has the answer.
“The standard SIG SG 550 is compatible with bayonet and is capable of firing rifle grenades. This assault rifle can be equipped with the GL 5040 40 mm under barrel grenade launcher. The grenade launcher can be operated independently from the rifle.”
Just the thing for greeting kids at the door on Trick or Treat night.
It’s crazy to me that anyone can get taken seriously as an adult while claiming society will be better if everyone who wants to is allowed to own weapons designed to kill large numbers of people. People seek power to use it. Maybe the kind of people who want to own those weapons are mostly the kind of people who should not be allowed to? Maybe your right to post a Facebook picture of you all kitted out like a “real man” matters less than someone else’s charter right to life?
An aside for those who claim “guns are just tools.” When’s the last time you posted a picture of you holding a skill saw like it made you a man?
Neil, LOL, thanks for the pic, will be chuckling all day….and trying to figure out which brand stands up as the “real man’s “..hmmm, so do imported count? Or do they have to be made in ‘merica etc. etc
And 100% agree on ” right to life “
Just the same old ……plugging our courts up ,plugging resources,chopping,shopping ,erasers
Same old ,yawn !
Us chickencounters don’t know if we are watching peoples court,an aquarium or a comedy
Regardless some form of demise for Canadians and the courts (again) yawn
Did Albertans receive “real”lawyers or “fake “lawyers in this draw ,real courts or fake courts ?Real judges or fake Justice s ?
Drunk Judges or sober Judges !
Can we have the “good ones” ? We don’t want the bad ones ,Alberta will wait for the Good ones ,let Legal aides get the “bad”ones as stated to myself
Let’s get the design layed out ,”yellow brick road “
I think we are preparing for a shift if government,big moves in chaos works great
Order bigger shredders ,be ready
I audited this shredding industry with one simple question,which office in the Alberta Legislature has the biggest “call “for disposal and also during the election change for Alberta,what was. The bulk for contract pick up?
Always hang up on me ,going to FOIP someday ,Really it was the arrival of contractors of disposal which really peaked my interest ,procurement and all
The arrival of contract shredding piqued my interest
*sigh* You know if you own an illegal firearm, you aren’t a “law abiding gun owner,” right? If you were “law abiding” you wouldn’t be “breaking the law” by owning something it is “illegal to own.”
While I’m at it, very few of these LAGOs who so enjoy strutting and posturing are able to coherently justify why private ownership of weapons designed to kill large number of people is a good thing. The best justification I’m aware of is the whole “heavily armed citizenry is the best safeguard against government tyranny” argument. Problem with that line of reasoning is that the historical evidence clearly shows that LAGOs actions don’t match their rhetoric. If you believe that you owning guns is an important check against government power, I would invite you to find some historical examples of this actually taking place. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Neil Lore: People owning guns isn’t going to make them be able to overthrow a government they don’t like. Not in any first world country, anyways. If a nuclear war is imminent, owning a gun won’t stop something like that at all.
Not only that, but they have this fantasy that a revolution will be easy and glamourous. Here’s an exerpt from Crass’ song Bloody Revolution:
It all seems very easy, this revolution game
But when you start to really play things won’t be quite the same
Your intellectual theories on how it’s going to be
Don’t seem to take into account the true reality
’cause the truth of what you’re saying, as you sit there sipping beer
Is pain and death and suffering, but of course you wouldn’t care
The Resistance.
There it is again. Sigh.
Anyway, declaring Alberta a sanctuary province for gun nuts is a novel idea that will surely appeal to the First Amendment (if Canada had one) mob in a big way. Considering that there could have been a severe firearms incident during the Coutts border blockade, one which could have seen a high casualty situation for the RCMP, one wonders why the UCP government would ever allow malcontents and troublemakers to have firepower in the first place? Oh yeah. That’s their base.
Since Danielle Straitjacket has every intention of creating a provincial police force, to replace the RCMP and look the other way, the notion of gangs of warlords roaming all over Alberta and brandishing their firearms comes that much closer to reality.
Remember: every gun owner is law abiding, until they do something stupid, or get all wrapped up in their FreeDUMB b. s.
Dani Suicide Smith will need every off the wall Madu/Shandro loose cannon as we sail off into our separation sunset. These boys are just shining up their resumes for permanent appointments like the new police force recommends.
Some Qanon Queen infallibility and more voodoo economics and Voila …. more extravagant pensions for the select few.
The Federal government that is duly elected to write laws, makes a law regarding assault weapons. The Alberta government refuses to abide by that law.
Welcome to Alberta. We have official become a lawless province. Why then should I follow the laws that UCP has put into place during their fascist reign?
Moreover, Danielle Smith will become our new premier without ever being elected. Seems about right for a lawless fascist province. I can only shudder as to what other non-democratic measures she will make into “laws” when she becomes an unelected premier.
Enjoy your karma Alberta.
Quebec set the precedent for Provincial governments assuming Federal jurisdiction
I agree, but… if Quebec flushed their heads down the toilet, would Alberta?
This is not a shot at you , but I’ve noticed over the past couple of decades that arguments that children used to unsuccessfully make to justify misbehaviour to their parents are suddenly being successfully used by elected politicians and pundits. I find this trend discouraging.
Quebec abides by the law even when those laws are written by the federal government of Canada. Alberta on the other hand…
Therein lies the difference. Therefore, Alberta is lawless and Quebec is law-abiding.
I was listening to federal Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino on CBC’s The House yesterday, and it was refreshing to hear his take on Shandy’s recent public statements on the latest federal gun control plan.
First he talked about talking to the families & survivors of previous mass shootings, from the École Polytechnique in 1989 to the 2017 Québec City mosque shooting to the Portapique NS mass shooting of April 2020. He said that one cannot listen to them tell their stories and not be prompted to act.
Then, instead of the kind of mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy, weasel words that seem to emanate from every Liberal government Minister anytime they speak in public on any topic, he flat-out called Shandy out for being irresponsible and reckless. It was a breath of fresh air.
He labelled what Shandy said about the RCMP’s potential involvement in the assault weapon buyback plan as “reckless, and an abdicated of responsibility”; he stated, “there is no ambiguity about the relationship between Canada and Alberta as it relates to the role of the RCMP”; quoting the federal-provincial agreement for RCMP contract policing in Alberta, he stated, “the parties recognize that the RCMP is a federal entity, and matters related to the control, management and administration of the RCMP are within exclusive federal jurisdiction”. He also repeatedly argued that matters related to firearms and the Criminal Code are matters of exclusive federal jurisdiction as confirmed by the Supreme Court on multiple occasions. He accused Shandy of wanting to “underline the problem rather than be part of the solution”. He went on to say that virtually every discussion of ending gun violence is an argument against the status quo, which is what Alberta is defending.
He also called Shandy “shameful and callous” for making reference to the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission in his recent public statements on the matter. He also expressed a good deal of concern about Shandy’s claims to have had “informal conversations” with senior RCMP command in Alberta — presumably at ‘K’ Division — who allegedly stated they did not support this plan; he called that “quite an allegation to make”, stated Shandy does not speak for the RCMP, said the RCMP has “operational independence” from elected officials, and forcefully said that “you do not get to pick which federal laws to enforce, or which federal firearms laws you want to follow”. The inference I drew from this last bit was that senior RCMP management resistance to this plan would be tantamount to insubordination against lawful authority. Minister Mendicino also accused Shandy of “shaky, flimsy political brinksmanship and callous sentiments”.
Well worth a listen. From my own perspective, it’s pretty rich that Alberta conservative politicians scream bloody murder at any suggestion of federal encroachment on actual or claimed provincial jurisdiction, whether be on health care, natural resources or the environment. But they seem to be just fine encroaching on areas of exclusive federal jurisdiction, which includes the criminal law. The hypocrisy is breathtaking and astounding.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-house-from-cbc-radio/id250083234?i=1000581217998
I wonder how much of this gun-nuttiness will inhere upon the presumed air of the throne King Jason used to sit on. But, then again, the shambling Ty and his one-headed Boola are merely provincial whereas Danielle is sovereign, yes sirree.
In any case, both promise to defy federal law, the former as parting shot, the latter as Parthian. Whether half-baked or full boil, it’s all still policy alphabet soup.
Full of spirit as they might be, these threats constitute only rearranging the letters of the law—like that “BRIDGE OUT” sign glimpsed in the rear-view mirror.
Very well, then, Denail le Shitm and Lyter Shodarn, very well.
Iiiiiin West Carpetbaggerland, born and raised,
at the feeding trough is where I spent mosta my days
strutting and posturing in my little blue truck
which I never did figure out how to gas up
cause a buncha damn libs, always up to no good
voted NDP outside my neighbourhood
I needed a job, Rachel needed a foil,
So I moved to Alberta and sold them chumps snake oil
This current crop of “conservatives” seem particularly enamoured with the powers and privileges of the Government of Québec. Do we think, then, they will adopt the gun control policies of La Belle Province, headquarters of PolySeSouvient & the Coalition for Gun Control — the gun control & anti-femicide civil society groups that arose out of the horror of the École Polytechnique mass shooting in 1989 — and the home of the only remaining long-gun registry in the country?!? I mean after all, if Québec does it, shouldn’t Alberta?
Considering the high costs of having and maintaining an Alberta provincial police force, here’s an idea that the in coming premier might want to consider…
Instead of an organized police force, how about an ad hoc armed militia?
I can see it all now…
Hundreds of unpaid volunteers stepping forward to defend and enforce the laws of Alberta and not those of the federal government. It should be easy to put something like this together. Just get hundreds of members of the UCP’s base to come out and LARP at being cops. All they have to do is act excessively officious, carry as many guns as they want, and enforce whatever laws they desire. It will be a passion project for them, where they get to do the stuff they only dream of in their best fascist dreams. It’s a job that so perfect and so fun, they’d do it for nothing.
Of course, it’s the law enforcement part that is going to be pretty much off-of-the-cuff, because, as everyone knows, not all laws matter in Alberta. Sure, enforcing those laws that prevent the perceived enemies of the UCP and their fellow travellers from protesting or blockading some point of access — environmentalists, reproductive rights advocates, organized labour, Lefties, Commies, etc. — will be the laws that these deputized defenders of all that is moral (to the UCP) will be empowered by weirdo provincial decree to enforce. As for any federal laws, well, those will just be ignored. And if the federal authorities wag their fingers at the province for not enforcing said federal laws, just arrest them on some trumped up charge, like disturbing the peace or being an enemy of Alberta.
CRA agents could be arrested for conducted audits of Albertans? Sure. Federal inspectors could be arrested for doing their federally mandated jobs? Why not? It’s all fun and games in UCP-Land. As for those who would be charged under the Federal Criminal Code … wait a minute now. What’s a crime in Ontario or B.C. may not be criminal enough to be a crime in Alberta. I mean, maybe Alberta should be the one to offer a second opinion just in case Ottawa’s are too Liberal, if you know what I mean.
As for Shandro, he has no problem causing mayhem. He seems to enjoy it. And as for that upcoming hearing into his ethical conduct, wouldn’t it be weird if Shandro just decided to decertify the Alberta Law Society? I mean, surely, they are under the control of PMJT? Trudeau is unbelievably stupid and has all the intellectual depth of a finger bowl. But he’s also a globalist mastermind of enormous power and reach, who has astonishing powers of authority and destruction at his disposal. Trudeau is an idiot and he’s a super-genius at the same time. He’s got to be stopped.
It will be interesting, frightening, to see how much damage Shandro and others on the way out will do in an attempt to maintain some power when the new UCP leader is selected. The Kenney backed leadership candidates led by Toews must see that the end is near, perhaps the talk of rerunning nominations and flipping of boards has them scared. Given Shandro’s mishandling of everything he has touched it is hard to see a scenario where he isn’t placed in a very far corner of the back benches.